15 COMMON HEALTH PROBLEMS THAT CAN BE TREATED USING EPSOM SALT

Question: When is salt, not salt? Answer: When it’s Epsom Salt! – you see Epsom Salt is not really salt at all – its chemical name is magnesium sulfate – a mixture of the mineral magnesium, and the compound, sulfate. 

It’s famous for adding to bathing water, in order to supplement the body’s levels of its two main natural chemical ingredients, because absorption through the skin is best way of getting these essential substances into the human body. The health benefits of epsom salts are remarkable.

The history of Epsom Salt

Epsom Salt originally came from a fresh spring in Epsom, Surrey, England, where the water rises up through the layers of porous chalk and non porous London clay, which form the hills in a region known as the Epsom Downs.

The history of Epsom Salt started with its discovery back in 1618 when a farmer in Epsom realized that his cows weren’t too keen to drink the water on his farm because it tasted so bitter. He also came to realise that this same bitter water also seemed to have the power to speed the healing of scratches and skin ailments such as rashes. Word spread slowly, and Epsom Salt was born. Epsom became one of the first ever Spa towns, although in later years it was overtaken by towns whose spa water springs produced greater quantities of water. The term “Epsom Salts” was first coined by a chemist called Nehemiah Grew in the book he wrote in 1695 on the subject of “bitter purging salt”.

Looking and feeling good

For many years the benefits of Epsom Salt has been renowned both for its benefits in beauty treatment, and in general health and well being. It’s this health and well being aspect that is of particular importance in terms of following a holistic health lifestyle – though of course there’s nothing wrong with a little beauty either!

Benefits of Epsom Salt as a Beauty Treatment

The two main uses of Epsom Salt as beauty treatments are for enhancing skin health, and improving the quality of your hair.

Epsom Salt and Skin Health

Our bodies are constantly producing new cells. Old cells die and new cells replace them at a rate of about 1 million per day. Although it’s something of a revolting thought, the majority of the dust you find in your house is made up of your dead skin cells. Over the period of one year, we each shed approximately 8 pounds of dead skin, and this is what the dust mites in our houses live on – us – or rather bits of what once was us!

The outer layer of your skin in constantly covered in dead skin cells. If these don’t get fully removed they can remain behind and clog up your new skin cells. That’s why we exfoliate. Exfoliation is the way that we slough off all of that dead skin, leaving behind healthy new skin cells that can breathe freely. That’s why exfoliated skin looks so clean and healthy – it’s because it is!

Epsom salt is a great exfoliator

In order to exfoliate successfully you need to apply something slightly abrasive. Not too abrasive or you’ll make your too skin sore. The best way is to apply handfuls of Epsom Salt to wet or damp skin. and rub it well. Afterwards you can shower down, or for even more health benefits (which you can read later on in this article), relax in a nice warm Epsom Salt bath. Another great tip for skin health – add some olive oil to your bath water – it acts like a skin moisturizer. You can add up to say ½ a cup into a tub-full of water, but less if you prefer. Find the level you feel comfortable with depending on our skin’s natural oil content.

Epsom Salt as an Acne treatment

Oh yes, one other thing. It’s great for acne too. The exfoliation aspect is important because it helps to clean your skin’s pores, and the antimicrobial content of the sulfate means that Epsom helps to fight off any acne bacteria.

Epsom Salt as a hair care treatment

You can also use Epsom Salt as a hair care treatment to remove toxins, clean your scalp, and to add volume to your hair. Simply add to hair conditioner in equal amounts; apply, working well into your scalp, and leave it for 20 minutes before washing out with warm water.

The Benefits of Epsom Salt for Health and Well Being

The benefits of Epsom salt is also great for your general health and well being. As mentioned at the beginning of this article, the most effective way of getting the maximum general health benefit from Epsom Salt is to add it to your bath water – approximately 2 cups per bathtub will do fine. Continue Reading Page 2>>